The next morning, the sect buzzed with news: the annual Outer Disciple Tournament would begin in three days. The top ten would earn inner sect privileges—resources, manuals, mentorship.
Ling Feng stood at the back of the crowd, unnoticed. Disciple Zhang Wei, a hulking teen with a sneer permanently etched into his face, boasted to his lackeys: "I'll break the record this year. Ten breaths to defeat my opponent!"
**[Main Quest: Win the Outer Disciple Tournament.]**
**[Reward: 500 Soul Points, 'Azure Sky Manual' (Grade 3).]**
**[Failure: Demotion to Mortal Servant.]**
Ling Feng's jaw tightened. *No pressure.*
Over the next days, he hunted spirit beasts, grinding his cultivation to Qi Condensation Stage 3. The system's quests guided him: gather herbs for temporary stat boosts, spar with training dummies for combat XP. Yet his progress was too slow.
On the eve of the tournament, he discovered a loophole.
**[Hidden Quest: 'Forge a Bond with a Sect Elder.']**
**[Reward: Secret Technique.]**
Ling Feng tracked down Elder Wu, a reclusive figure rumored to dabble in forbidden arts. The old man sat beneath a ginkgo tree, eyes closed.
"Elder Wu," Ling Feng bowed, "this disciple seeks guidance."
The elder didn't move. "You reek of desperation… and something else. A foreign energy."
Ling Feng's pulse spiked. *Can he sense the system?*
**[Persuasion Check: 30/100 (Failure).]**
"Leave," Elder Wu said coldly.
But as Ling Feng turned, the elder added, "Return when you've survived the tournament. If you do."